After two stages of counts, the number of votes cast were: Jones (Lab) 117,388 Bennett (Con) 55,685.

The first stage of voting failed to produce an overall majority.

Only 12.31 per cent of eligible voters bothered to turn out for the elections. In some areas the turnout was as low as six or seven per cent as people rejected or ignored their first opportunity to select the region’s police and crime commissioner.

The turnout is probably the lowest in election history, and has been repeated in the PCC elections across the country. In Coventry voters backed Coun Jones after the second voting round.

After second preference votes were taken in to account the Labour candidate took 12,467 votes compared with 5,017 votes for Matt Bennett (Cons). These votes were then added to the other six metropolitan boroughs for the final totals.

The first choice votes in Coventry are as follows:

*Matt Bennett (Cons) - 3,997

*Bill Etheridge (UKIP) - 1,701

*Cath Hannon (Ind) - 3,613

*Bob Jones (Lab) - 11,100

*Mike Rumble (Ind) - 1,401

*Derek Webley (Ind) - 1,301

*Ayoub Khan (Lib Dem) - 783

Coventry’s turnout was one of the lowest in the region at 10.54 per cent, with 24,778 voting out of a 235,120 electorate.

This was downgraded at the Ricoh Arena exhibition hall from an initial turnout of 10.92 after a "technical adjustment".

Warwickshire saw 15.7 per cent turnout - but this was as low as 11.3 per cent in Nuneaton and Bedworth.

North Warwickshire district saw a vote from just 12.3 per cent compared with 15.3 per cent in Rugby district, 17.9 per cent in Stratford and 19.5 per cent in Warwick.

Martin Reeves, Coventry City Council’s chief executive and the returning officer responsible for the Coventry count, said there had been an unusually high number of deliberately spoilt ballot papers.

He said many of the 884 rejected ballot papers had disparaging comments written on them.

"There are hundreds and hundreds of spoilt papers. A lot have been written on and spoilt with comments.

"You always get a percentage of spoilt ballot papers but there are a lot that have been spoilt deliberately."

Counting the Warwickshire votes began at 11am at the National Policing Improvement Agency at Ryton with the declaration is expected between 2pm and 5pm. Counting votes in Coventry began at 8am.

Coun Ken Tayor, the Conservative former leader of Coventry City Council, said: "There’s been confusion all round.

"It’s been badly publicised and the people who did vote didn’t know how to vote. When there’s a low turnout it can tilt it in favour of independent candidates.

"As far as the Conservative Party are concerned here, obviously we are looking to win. But we’re not expecting to win the West Midlands as a whole."

Jim Cunningham, MP for Coventry South, said: "I think we need more polling stations and I’ve thought that for a long time.

"The lesson is in America, they’re voting for a month or two. Why do we all have to vote in one day?"